Activists Rally For Weed & Seed Funding.

Before Ron Zellers ... ... became chief of police in New Kensington, Westmoreland County, he worked an undercover beat for the better part of 16 years, investigating gang and drug activity on the streets full time.

He says that experience, while dangerous at times, taught him a "fundamental" lesson about law enforcement: "The best way to reduce crime is not aggressive prosecution and punishment but investment in crime prevention."

Zellers, along with about 100 others from around the state, convened in the Capitol Wednesday afternoon to share that message with lawmakers as part of a rally in support of the state's Weed and Seed program, a statewide crime prevention initiative scheduled for elimination under Gov. Tom Corbett's proposed budget.

The rally, organized by a handful of state Weed and Seed offices, came as another installment in the ongoing discussion about how to reduce Pennsylvania's corrections costs, which under Corbett's proposed budget would increase next year by $186 million, from $1.7 to $1.9 billion.

Rally organizers and sympathetic legislators expressed surprise that Corbett would cut money from programs meant to cut down on crime and delinquency.

The Governor championed programs such as Weed and Seed as a U.S. attorney from Pittsburgh and later as state Attorney General and chairman of the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency, which handles the program's funding.

Corbett's office could not immediately be reached for comment.

Rep. Ron Waters, D-Philadelphia, challenged that assessment during the rally. Like a number of other speakers, he said that "if the governor was really serious about saving, he wouldn't be cutting from programs that are proven to cut down on crime and save money in the long run."

"The state is on path to build three new $200 million prisons, with a cost of $60 million to operate per year, and we're talking about eliminating an inexpensive program that keeps people out of jail. That's not good policy," Waters said to strong applause.

Statewide funding for Weed and Seed programs in cities such as Allentown has steadily declined since 2006, even as spending on corrections has increased, according to the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency's website. In that year, the state spent $3.6 million on such programs, compared to just $450,000 allotted for the current fiscal year.

"The more fiscally responsible move would be to invest in preventative measures like this," Waters said. "I guess the governor never heard that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure."

Current Comments

Weed and Seed is a West Ward organization that has brought the City of Easton, non-profit organizations, faith-based orgs, Block Watch and School District together which benefits the whole City of Easton. Easton is a major gateway to PA from NJ. The current Director, Laura Accetta and her small staff are professional and have a good working relationships with the Mayor of Easton, Police Department, Chamber of Commerce and the community. Weed and Seed is a hub of activity uniting the citizens of the community. Please reconsider funding to Weed and Seed.

Posted By: Frances Goode-Rivera | May 12, 2011 8:53:40 AM

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